The cost of Comcast’s standard cable television package is rising $3 a month in November, but the company is holding fast on prices for its Internet and digital phone services.
The rate adjustment, amounting to 4.2 percent for the average Comcast customer, takes effect Nov. 15.
Subscribers to Comcast’s most common cable package, which includes 78 channels, will see bills rise from $49.25 to $52.25 a month, said company spokesman Steve Kipp.
Comcast cited its expanding video services, including video-on-demand library and high-definition channels, for the rate hike. The company said it’s invested $200 million in Comcast’s Washington network.
Kipp said Comcast now offers 21 high-definition channels in its local digital lineup. That will bump up to 25 channels in the coming weeks.
While customers who subscribe only to Comcast’s cable TV service will see price changes, those who buy other services from the company will see no increase for the fifth consecutive year.
That means customers who buy high-speed Internet, phone and TV services from Comcast will see no increase. That “triple-play” package begins at $99 a month.
The price of Comcast’s limited basic cable TV service, which is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission, also will not change. That service costs less than $13 a month.
Snohomish County’s dominant telephone service provider, Verizon, recently got permission from the state utilities commission to begin offering its own television services.
Until it can secure cable TV franchise permits from local cities to offer channels over its FiOS fiber-optic network, Verizon is offering TV through DIRECTV, a satellite service. That costs about $45 to $50 a month, depending on the package.
The last rate change for Comcast came last January, when prices rose about 4 percent.
Reporter Eric Fetters: 425-339-3453 or fetters@heraldnet.com
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